Card holding and displaying device



United States Patent 3,524,274 CARD HOLDING AND DISPLAYING DEVICEEmerson Glassburn, 1412 E. Hudson St., Columbus, Ohio 43211 Filed July10, 1968, Ser. No. 743,887 Int. Cl. G09f 1/10 U.S. Cl. 40124.4- 3 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for holding and displaying greetingcards or the like which include two or more panels hinged or foldedtogether. The cards can be readily positioned on or removed from uprightretaining and supporting pins carried by a suitable base. Whenpositioned on the pins, they are displayed in radially outwardlyextending positions so that they can be readily observed.

When a person receives a large number of greeting cards, he usually putsthem in a pile and to inspect them or shown them he must sort throughthe pile. The present invention provides a device for holding a largenumber of cards so that they can be readily observed and any oneselected and removed. The device is such that any card may be readilypositioned thereon and removed therefrom without disturbing adjacentcards. Also, each card may be swung readily to space its face from anadjacent card so that the face or other panels thereof can be readilyobserved. The device is simple and inexpensive yet very efiective forthe purpose intended.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated the preferred embodimentof my invention and in this drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my device.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing a modification of my device.

With particular reference to the drawing, the device comprises a hollow,substantially cylindrical body 5 which is preferably formed of suitableplastic. The top of this body 5 is closed by an integral dome-shapedwall 6 which has an integral centrally-disposed upwardly projecting knob7 by means of which the entire device may be lifted and rotated todifferent angular positions. The body 5 is provided at its lower edgewith a supporting skirt 8 which is outwardly flared and is concentricwith the body but is of greater diameter so that there is a horizontalannular ledge or shelf 9 provided therebetween and connecting the twoportions. Reinforcing vertical ribs 10 may be provided within the body 5at angularly spaced positions.

Around the annular ledge or shelf 9, I provide a plurality of upstandingpins or tines 11. These pins may be formed integral with the ledge or beformed separately and mounted thereon. In either event, they are atclose angularly spaced intervals entirely around the ledge and arespaced radially outwardly from the body 5. Their upper ends 12 are allat the same level, which is spaced substantially below the dome-shapedtop 6 of the body. This provides an exposed annular surface 13 above theupper ends 12 of the pins 11 which will engage the inner folded edgesofthe cards and help in guiding them onto the upper ends of the pins.

in using this device, the folded or hinged cards C are positioned on thedevice by slipping their folded inner 3,524,274 Patented Aug. 18, 1970edges F over the respective upstanding pins 11. In this operation, theinner folded vertical joints or edges F engage the vertical guidesurface 13 of the body 5, and then if the cards are merely droppedbodily, they will slide down over the respective pins until they rest attheir lower edges on the ledges or shelf 9. At this time, they will bepositioned as indicated in phantom in FIG. 1. They will extend radiallyoutwardly from the body 5 and can be easily observed, and can be swungabout the axes of the pins to be positioned for easier reading of eachpanel. To remove, it is merely necessary to select a card and slide itupwardly off its respective pin. The entire device may be lifted androtated by the knob 7 to permit access to any supported card.

In FIG. 3, -I have illustrated schematically a modification of my devicein which the body 5a is mounted for rotation about the axis of thedevice to make any supported card more readily accessible. The structureis identical with that previously described except a turntablearrangement is added. This arrangement comprises a flat disc-like baseplate 20 which has an integral central upwardly opening tubular socket21 that rotatably receives a spindle 22. The spindle 22 is integral withthe top wall 6a and depends therefrom. It slips into the upper open endof socket 21, until a bearing enlargement 23 thereon engages the upperend of the socket, and rotates therein, permitting rotation of theentire housing 5a, and the cards supported thereon, relative to the baseplate 20.

It will be apparent that the above described structure provides a simpleand inexpensive device for supporting folded cards in readily observableand accessible positions and that the cards can be easily and quicklypositioned thereon or removed therefrom.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A card holding device for holding folded or hinged cards or the likecomprising a body portion having an upstanding vertical outer surfaceand a horizontal ledge projecting outwardly from said surface at anangle so that the upstanding surface extends upwardly therefrom asubstantial distance, and a plurality of upstanding pins extendingupwardly from said ledge at angularly spaced intervals and spacedoutwardly from said upstanding surface, said upstanding surfaceextending substantially above the upper ends of said pins and serving asa card-guiding surface, said body being substantially cylindrical andbeing supported by an annular skirt at its lower edge which is joined tosaid body by said ledge which is in the form of an annular shelf, saidpins being angularly spaced around said shelf and being spaced radiallyoutwardly from said cylindrical body.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which the body is closed by adome-shaped top wall, and a knob centrally carried on the exterior ofsaid top wall.

3. A device according to claim 1 including a support for the body, andmeans for rotatably mounting the body on the support for revolvingmovement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 136,810 12/1943 Ranch.

642,277 1/ 1900 Adair. 3,170,260 2/ 1965 Parker 4024 3,341,266 9/1967Schecter et al. 211-40 X EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner W. I.CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner

